Can You Drink Alcohol While Taking Fluconazole?
In our latest question and answer, we discuss the safety considerations when combining alcohol with fluconazole.
I took a one-day fluconazole dose, a 150 mg pill, for a yeast infection. Is it OK to drink alcohol two days later? How long before it leaves your system?
Sep 03, 2022- There is no direct drug interaction between fluconazole and alcohol, but alcohol can weaken your immune system while you're fighting an infection. Alcohol may worsen side effects from fluconazole such as nausea, diarrhea, and upset stomach. Fluconazole stays active in your body for 6 to 10 days, so if you want to avoid alcohol completely during treatment you should wait that long.
Answer
There is no drug interaction between fluconazole and alcohol, but it is generally not recommended to drink alcohol while recovering from an infection.
Alcohol has the propensity to decrease immune function, at least in the short term. In addition, it can potentially worsen medication side effects, including:
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Upset stomach
Problems With Alcohol And Fluconazole
In regard to taking alcohol after fluconazole administration, there is no drug interaction as mentioned above. However, if you are experiencing any symptoms from medication use such as nausea or abdominal pain, alcohol may worsen those side effects. Fluconazole lasts in the body for a considerable period of time, 6 to 10 days. If you wish to completely avoid alcohol while the drug is present, you would need to wait that period of time.
What Is Fluconazole?
Fluconazole, also known by the brand name Diflucan, is a systemic anti-fungal that is commonly used for yeast infections and oral thrush infections. It is generally well tolerated but has been known to cause headache, nausea and abdominal pain.
An interesting characteristic of fluconazole is its ability to eradicate many fungal infections, including vaginal fungal infections, in a single dose. This is due to how fluconazole works and the relatively long half-life of the drug.
How Does Fluconazole Work?
Fluconazole works by inhibiting the synthesis of a vital component (ergosterol) of the fungal cell membrane. A single dose of fluconazole has a reported half-life of 30-50 hours. In general, a drug takes about 5 half-lives to be completely metabolized and eliminated from the body. This essentially means that the drug is present and active in the body for 6 to 10 days! That is why a single dose is effective for eradicating infections.
After a single dose, symptoms tend to get better after 1 to 3 days and the majority of infections are cleared in 7 to 10 days. The clinical cure rate with a single dose of fluconazole is generally reported to be approximately 85–90%, though some patients may still require a second dose—which is why doctors sometimes recommend taking one 7 days after the initial dose., which is why sometimes doctors will recommend taking a second dose of fluconazole 7 days after the initial dose.
Final Words
Thanks for your question and feel free to reach back out anytime!
References & sources
Glossary — Terms in This Answer
- Drug interaction
- A change in how a medication works when combined with another drug or substance like alcohol.
- Immune function
- The body's ability to fight off infections and diseases.
- Anti-fungal
- A medication that kills or stops the growth of fungi, which are organisms that cause infections like yeast infections.
- Systemic
- Affecting or acting throughout the entire body rather than just one local area.
- Ergosterol
- A vital fatty component that makes up the cell membrane of fungi.
- Half-life
- The amount of time it takes for the body to eliminate half of a drug's dose.
- Metabolized
- Broken down by the body into forms that can be used or eliminated.
- Clinical cure rate
- The percentage of patients whose symptoms go away or infections are resolved after receiving a treatment.
Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD
Doctor of Pharmacy, board certified clinical pharmacist (BCPS), American Herbalist Guild, Medication Therapy Management certified
Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS, is a licensed pharmacist with more than 13 years of experience across retail pharmacy, clinical pharmacy, medication safety, pharmacy program development, and healthcare administration. He is the founder of HelloPharmacist.com, where he helps patients...
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